Oklahoma A.G. Hails MySpace Agreement

State attorneys general across the nation, including Oklahoma's, are teaming up with MySpace.com to protect kids from online predators. The popular networking site has agreed to work with the states to create new technology with that goal. The News On 6's Steve Berg reports the main goal is to create age and identity verification technology so they can prove people are who they claim to be when they log into MySpace.com.

Many agree that could be a lot easier said than done.

In a perfect world, kids could chat and socialize safely with their friends on the internet.

"It'd be nice. And, it could be just you and your friends and you could just type stuff. And, you won't have anyone there to hurt you and come and track you down. You don't know what's going to happen," said Dhaania Muthurujah of Oklahoma City.

Unfortunately that's not the case, and there have been several cases, in just the past couple of years, in the Tulsa area where kids have fallen victim to online predators. MySpace.com gets a lot of attention because it's one of the largest social networking websites. It has agreed to work with attorneys general across the country says Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Julie Bays.

"All the protections are not in place yet. But, it's an agreement to work together toward those protections," said Assistant Attorney General Julie Bays.

While they all agree on the goal, the how part is tougher.

"This has been a point of disagreement between the attorneys general and other social networking sites along with MySpace. We believe technology is out there. They don't think that it is. The purpose of this task force is that we are going to find and develop online identity authentication tools," said North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. "I mean it's not a catch-all, we fixed MySpace. There's no kids that are going to get hurt by being on there. We are just. It's a step in the right direction."

The attorneys general will also offer tools to parents that are more blunt, but effective.

Texas was the only state not to join the agreement. The attorney general there says the plan is inadequate. And, he says he won't support a plan that doesn't work or gives a false sense of security.

For more information from Edmondson about the agreement, click here.